Juicer or squeezer?

For many people who don't like fruit and vegetables in their basic form, juices are a great alternative. They have a comfortable form (there is no need to bite, rinse them, get rid of seeds), quench thirst and are a source of health for the body. Paradoxically, juice prepared in an appropriate way provides the body with more valuable ingredients than the fruit from which it originated. Its digestion does not take more than 10-15 minutes. So how to prepare the perfect juice?

Wipe or squeeze?

The choice between juicer and squeezer is not particularly complicated. The most important are three questions that need to be answered. Then there is only the question of choosing a model that will meet our expectations.

Price of equipment

The first quite important issue when choosing between a juice squeezer or squeezer is the amount of funds we are willing to spend on their purchase. Extruders are much more expensive. Their price oscillates around 1000 PLN. The cheapest models of juicers can be purchased for as little as 100 PLN.

Working speed

Juicers produce juice faster than extrusion machines. They can process large quantities of fruit in a short time, working practically without interruption. For the owners of various types of catering outlets is an invaluable advantage. Surely, in such circumstances, the juice centrifuge will do its job better, because at the same time it will satisfy the needs of a larger number of customers.

Extruders work slower. The time needed to extract 1 litre of juice is about 5 minutes. However, if you do not own a bar or restaurant, this should not be a big problem for you, especially after reading the next point.

Juice quality

Extruders absolutely win the competition. There is a clear difference between the juices prepared by the two devices in question. Drinks differ in appearance, consistency, taste and nutrient content.

Squeezer juices do not delaminate, are dense, have a deep, expressive taste and contain all the nutrients that have a salutary effect on our organisms.

The juices produced by the juicer are less valuable, poorer in valuable ingredients, their taste is slightly changed in relation to the one we enjoy eating fruit and vegetables. The juices are also less dense and delaminated.

The reason for the differences is the juice extraction technique used by the equipment. The juicers rub (shredder) fruits or vegetables. This rather aggressive treatment of matter causes cell damage, and thus eliminates many important substances, such as vitamins and enzymes.

Squeezers with precision and delicacy, extruding juice from fruit. Most structures remain unchanged, making the juice homogeneous and rich in vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

The second issue, which has a very large impact on the quality of juices, is the speed of operation of the devices.

The juicers operate at high speed, which increases the temperature of the entire content. Heat is the enemy of many valuable ingredients, destroys some vitamins (especially drastically lowers the vitamin C content).

Squeezers produce juices without the side effect of increased temperature. This is made possible by the slow running of the worm shaft, the main component of the extruder. In this juice, all ingredients that are not heat-resistant are preserved.

When discussing the speed of equipment operation, it is worth pointing out one more effect of the rush. The juices produced in the juicer are aerated. This means rapid oxidation of the ingredients and shorter shelf life.

The delicacy with which squeezers treat fruit and vegetables extends the shelf life of the product and keeps its composition unchanged.

There are a few more advantages of squeezers:

• The juice produced in these devices is dense and rich in fiber (this ingredient is extremely helpful in the digestion process).
• Extruders are very efficient. They extract much more juice than juice centrifuges from the same amount of fruit or vegetables.
• Thanks to these devices, it is possible to obtain juice from small, soft fruits, such as currants, berries, raspberries.
• Thanks to their rather uncomplicated design, extruders are very easy to use and clean.

Juice presses - comparison

First of all, pay attention to the material of which the device is made. Particularly important here are those parts of the machine that come into direct contact with fruit, vegetables and the juice produced from them.

Older types of devices are equipped with polycarbonate screens (containing harmful bisphenol A). It is maintained in the quantities permitted by European standards, but if you spend a considerable amount of money on purchasing a juice squeezer, you should choose a model free of this type of material.

• Kuvings 998 - recommended as an extremely robust device, equipped with the motor with the highest available power. The inlet of the squeezer is large enough, no need to divide fruits and vegetables into smaller parts. Despite its powerful engine, the machine is poorly able to cope with large quantities of hard vegetables, such as carrots. At high load, small, undisturbed pieces of fruit or vegetables get into the juice.
• Cooksense Hyundai HD - model with grinding attachment. Quite good parameters and very quiet operation of the device are not in harmony with the underdeveloped design of the model.
• Tribest FS-610 Fruitstar - the advantage of the device is the material from which it was made. Contains no harmful compounds, bowl made of tritium. Although the extruder looks decent, does not impress with the quality of the after-sales service, sellers dose information, little more information about this model can be found on the Internet.
• Hurom HU-500 - a device made of harmless materials - the sieve and worm shaft are made of safe ultemu, and the bowl of tritium is also free of BPA. It is distinguished by very quiet operation. The model is equipped with a stopper, thanks to which it is possible to compose cocktails or make milk from grains and nuts. The manufacturer has taken care of after-sales service and gives a 10-year warranty on its product.